Background/aim: The admission to intensive care is controversially discussed in patients with HIV infection, since life expectancy is limited. Therefore, we analyzed indications, outcomes and follow up of all patients with confirmed HIV-infection and Aids defining symptoms who had been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of our department between 1985-1996.
Results: 49 patients were admitted to the ICU, 42 of them with CDC stage C of HIV infection before admission. The leading indications were pneumonia (n = 15; PCP: 10, bacterial: 5), acute bleedings (n = 14), acute neurological diseases (n = 6), and gastrointestinal perforation (n = 5). Overall mortality was 39% (19/49) with a higher mortality seen in patients with respiratory disorders (53%) compared to non-respiratory disorders (22%, n.s.). The only significant predictor of mortality was the serum creatinine (p = 0.001), while differences in the APACHE II score between survivors and non-survivors did not reach statistical significance (22 +/- 7, 16 +/- 5; p = 0.14). During follow up no difference was seen in the life expectancy of HIV-infected survivors of intensive care as compared to those patients with AIDS who had never been admitted to ICU (8.4 months versus 9 months).
Discussion: The need for intensive care in HIV infected patients does not accelerate the progression of HIV infection to death, if the complications requiring ICU intervention can be managed successfully. Respiratory infections and impaired renal function are risk factors for a fatal outcome. Thus, HIV infected patients benefit from intensive care therapy.